*Warning, plot
spoilers below of the first act.
Going into BioShock Infinite, I had only one question. Could
Ken Levine deliver another experience as exceptional and memorable as BioShock?
Anyone who’s played it can remember exploring the world of Rapture deep under
the ocean and its striking introduction by Andrew Ryan as you plunged into the
depths.
This time round, you once again start in familiar territory;
in the middle the ocean with a single lighthouse as the only feature in sight.
At least this time you don’t have to get your feet wet as your being rowed
there by two mysterious people discussing the fact that you, Booker DeWitt
can’t row. They also don’t seem too interested in Booker’s questions, leaving
him standing on the jetty to the lighthouse with one objective in mind. Get the
girl to wipe away the debt.
After poking around the lighthouse for a few minutes, you
discover some notes that give you a clue. What follows is another spectacular
introduction. This time you’re greeted by the flying city of Columbia, a new
heaven for Christian pilgrim, a city that is deeply rooted in the religious
fundamentalism of the early 1900s. You step out into a small chapel that serves
as the entrance and immediately Booker is confronted by the religion he has
stepped away from. His only choice is to join in the group baptism, to be
reborn to gain entry.
Unlike Rapture which had already fallen into chaos and
anarchy when you arrive, Columbia is the complete opposite. It appears to be a
city of perfection floating amongst the clouds, enjoying another day of glorious
sunshine. As you walk out into the small square, you’re greeted by a towering
statue of the Prophet Comstock, the city’s founder and leader.
The first hour or so allows you to explore freely around
Columbia, allowing you to really immerse yourself in the atmosphere. In some
ways, it seems like a city that’s too perfect. Everyone seems to be happy and
enjoying themselves. By coincidence, Booker arrives on the same day the raffle
is held. As you head over, Booker takes notice of the propaganda warning
citizens to be wary of the false prophet and his mark. A capital ‘AD’ on the
back of the right hand, matching the mark on Booker’s hand.
As you arrive at the raffle, a rather fetching young lady
invites Booker to take part in the draw, and of course Booker is the lucky
winner. It’s at this point the game confronts you head on with Columbia’s
darker side. As a white man and a black woman tied to posts are wheeled on
stage, your ‘prize’ is revealed as the privilege to throw the first baseball as
part of a lynch mob. You’re given the choice of throwing the baseball at the
couple or the presenter. Whatever option you pick, the mark on Booker’s hand is
quickly discovered. The peaceful façade of the city has now completely melted
away as cries of the false prophet’s arrival ring out, forcing you to fight
your way out of the squad of police officers charging at you.
I expected from this point onwards to be constantly battling
my way from one objective to another, but the plot still allowed for some quiet
moments in the first act. I often found myself stopping just to take in the
vistas. And it was intriguing to get more glimpses of the city and the citizens
going about their daily business; kindly ignoring the shotgun in my hand, which
broke my immersion on a couple of occasions. It would have been nice to be able
to holster my weapons for those specific moments.
Combat is a mixed bag throughout the game and hasn’t changed
much since BioShock. This time, you can only carry two weapons at a time;
thankfully reducing the amount of controls required so that playing the game
feels slightly less complicated than a flight sim. It also has the effect of making
your weapon choice matter, as you can only buy a limited selection of
ammunition from vending machines. Picking up a heavy weapon can be a handy tool
for one fight, yet the lack of ammunition will stop it from becoming a crutch
you rely on for the rest of the game.
The weapons look and sound great with some nice variety
throughout. However, firing them is quite boring due to Booker’s perfect aim.
There’s no weapon sway, bullet spread or bullet drop; only a small amount of
weapon recoil which can easily be kept under control. You can simply headshot
any enemy who is foolish enough to stand still for more than a second.
What livens up the combat and makes it worthwhile are the
Vigors. These function in a very similar way to the Plasmids of BioShock. You
collect a variety of powers by drinking the mysterious contents of the Vigor
bottles you find scattered around. Each fires an attack with a quick tap or can
lay a trap by being briefly charged up. You can complement and combine the
powers to create some interesting combinations. Nevertheless you will be forced
to use firearms when your Salts run out, Slats simply being another name for a conventional
mana-bar.
Another factor shaping the combat are the arenas and
corridors you find yourself fighting in. Towards the end of the game these
often include sky rails and cargo hooks, each adding a vertical element to the
combat. Sky rails loop around areas allowing you to shoot at enemies as you zip
by, and enable rather devastating leap strikes with the grappling hook. However
your foes will also chase you around on them or electrify the rails, forcing
you to return to the ground.
The AI is quite impressive as it’s capable of making smart
choices on how to reach you, or get a line of sight to fire given the
complicated scenery. It’s still dumb enough to walk into your traps though,
which means they’re useful throughout the game. There were some moments when
enemies would stop moving when I hid behind partial cover. I was never sure if
this was the AI being smart and waiting for me to come into the open again, or
if it had got stuck making its next decision.
Another part of the AI does stand out as being rather
exceptional and that is the AI for Elizabeth. Having made her acquaintance
early on, she’ll join you on your adventure as you both try to escape Columbia.
In combat, Elizabeth doesn’t fight. Instead she takes cover and scavenges
useful ammo, health and Salt pick-ups for you. Out of combat, Elizabeth is
always close by, occasionally finding money for you and doing a rather good job
of not getting in your way. I only bumped into her a few times and the AI was
smart enough to react and move her out of the way.
All things considered, the combat is a bit clunky; mostly
let down by the weak gunplay and dependence on it. Unless you play on hard difficulty,
you’ll have little reason to use the powers available to you as the guns are
rather strong. It would have been nice for combat to be balanced more towards
using the Vigors with a larger Salts bar.
The real strength of BioShock Infinite is its atmosphere and
story. Despite being set in 1912 after the events of the American Civil War,
Comstock’s vision has created a city for religious fundamentalists who preach
hatred and intolerance. A city that is still run on the slave labour of African
Americans and Irish immigrants. The game never shies away from depicting the
racism of the era, although it’s not show in a direct manner after the events
of the raffle. Rather through a series of small touches such as segregated
areas, and clear messages in workers quarters reminding them of their position
in society.
The dynamic between Booker and Elizabeth is excellent. Their
relationship changes with events and revelations, each reacting in a manner
consistent to their character throughout; yet there are a few circumstances where
their development felt rushed. Their interactions with the other main
characters of Columbia are equally fantastic as the plot unfolds. They are a
well written duo, each with their own goals, meaning BioShock Infinite steers
well clear from ever feeling like an extended escort mission.
The plot cumulates in a very ambitious ending. The last hour
of the game is like playing an epilogue rather than a climatic act three finale
and doesn’t quite tie up all the loose ends, leaving a lot for consideration
and debate. This is the only other area of the game that is somewhat lacking.
Especially when compared to the strong story elements that lead up to it.
Bioshock Infinite does deliver an overall great experience,
but doesn’t quite reach the high it could have hit. Mostly due to the combat
which after a while, serves the function of being the filler between excellent
story segments. Does it measure up to BioShock as a memorable gaming
experience? Definitely, although which you’ll prefer will likely depend on who
your favourite characters are.
